DENPASAR REGENCY

Once part of Badung Regency, in 1992 the Denpasar area split off and became
Bali's ninth kabupaten. In addition to the island's capital, Denpasar
Regency encompasses Sanur, Benoa Port, and Serangan Island, leaving Badung
more pencil-shaped than ever.

Denpasar is the largest and busiest city on
the island. An old trading center, its name means "east of the market."
It's the headquarters for the government, the media, the island's principal
banks, airline offices, and hospitals. Bali's two universities, Udayana
and Warmadewa, are also based here. The city's local name is Badung, its
old name, and you'll hear "Badung" sung out by bemo drivers all
over Bali. Though it's been the capital of Bali since 1958, it's no longer
the administrative center of Badung Regency. In 1992, Greater Denpasar
and Sanur split off from Badung and formed their own administrative entity—Denpasar.
A hot, dusty, cacophonous, former Brahman-class
city, Denpasar has grown fifteen-fold over the past 10 years and is now
home to 367,000 people. Its citizenry consists of Badung's landed gentry,
the priest class, and the new Balinese techno and bureaucratic elites,
as well as Indonesians drawn from other islands to this economic magnet.
Denpasar is one of Indonesia's most fully integrated and tolerant cities,
with separate kampung of Bugis, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Madurese,
and Javanese. Without doubt it's the richest, most important city in eastern
Indonesia.
Unless you've got business here, the city
has few charms, other than those quiet back alleyways where people are
quite friendly. The most important government offices are located in a
tree-shaded administrative complex of handsome reddish brick and gray stone.
Industry is low-tech and non-polluting. Denpasar is actually best at night,
when it's not so hot and the individual kampung resume their normal
rhythms. It seems the whole population is either directly or indirectly
involved in the tourist industry, and you can easily engage people in conversation.
Denpasar's main one-way east-to-west shopping
street, Jl. Gajah Mada, is crammed with chauffeured cars, noisome putt-putting
bemo, roaring motorcycles, and smelly, spewing buses. The city's
limited attractions include a spacious alun-alun, tourist information
offices, the island's main bus stations and best-stocked markets, some
good Chinese restaurants, a spirited night market, dance and drama academies,
a major art center, first-class museum, and five big cinemas heralding
the coming of the next kung fu epic.

SIGHTS

A great place for families to hang out in the evenings is the huge, well-kept
park in the middle of town, Puputan Square, named for the bloody
1906 extermination of the island's ruling class by the Dutch. An heroic-style
monument facing Jl. Surapati commemorates this tragic event. Note the woman
with the kris in one hand and jewels in the other. Eyewitnesses
of the time reported that female members of the court tauntingly flung
their jewelry at the Dutch troops before being mowed down by rifle fire.
On every side of Taman Puputan are the traditional
symbols of the power elite. North of the square is the Governor's Residence,
built in Javanese pendopo style. Facing the Bali Museum is the stolid,
modern military headquarters complex. Just south of the square in the middle
of the city's busiest intersection is a five-meter-high, four-faced, eight-armed
statue—Mukha, representing Batara Guru, "God of the Four Directions,"
who is even-handedly blessing all the cardinal points simultaneously.

The Bali MuseumThe largest collection of Baliana in the world is located on the east
side of Taman Puputan on Jl. Mayor Wishnu just south of the tourist office.
The Bali Museum was established in 1910 by the conquering Dutch, who sought
to collect and preserve artifacts they felt were disappearing overseas
or succumbing to the elements. In 1917, an eruption of Gunung Batur and
subsequent earthquakes destroyed hundreds of Denpasar's buildings, including
the museum. Rebuilt in 1925, it was used as a storehouse for artifacts
and temporary exhibits until 1932, when it was established as an ethnographic
museum. The German painter Walter Spies helped assemble many of its original
treasures from private collections and donations.
The grand, well-kept complex consists of a
series of attractive, grassy courtyards containing all the archetypes of
Balinese architecture—bale agung, candi bentar, kulkul. The main
structure, with its many pillars, is built in the manner of Puri Kanginan
in the eastern regency of Karangasem. Standing next to it is a reproduction
of Singaraja Palace on the north coast. With rich ornamentation both inside
and out, the museum's architecture combines the two principal edifices
of Bali, the temple (pura) and the palace (puri). The museum's four buildings contain a splendid
collection of Balinese art—Neolithic stone implements, a hoard of Buddhist
clay seals excavated near Pejeng, Balinese folk crafts, carved and painted
woodwork, cricket-fighting cages, dance costumes, textiles, masks, weaving
looms and fabrics, agricultural tools, musical instruments, furniture,
scale models of ceremonial events, ethnographic exhibits. The first pavilion
is a two-story building containing high-quality, early traditional, Kamasan-style
paintings; classical Balinese calendars; modern Batuan and Ubud-style paintings;
and work of the Academic and Young Artists (or Naive) schools. Another
pavilion displays carved media—wood, stone, clay, and bone—including sculpted
windows, doors, pillars, ceiling beams, friezes, old guardian figures,
demons, and specimens of Bali's extraordinarily earthy and vigorous folk
art. The building, dedicated to prehistoric artifacts, displays Bronze
Age implements, including the famous Gilimanuk bronze spearhead, the largest
ever discovered in Southeast Asia. Also see ritual objects, priestly accoutrements,
and a veranda lined with old stone statues. One building is devoted entirely
to masks, weapons, and costumes of the performing arts, including rare
barong pig masks and primitive dance masks from remote villages.
There's also an incredible display of topeng. A good part of the displays are annotated
with English explanations, and clear maps in the central building show
all the important prehistoric and historical sites of Bali. The museum
also has a library and a shop selling postcards and books in English. However,
there's no ground plan of the museum nor is a guide available to show visitors
around. Open Tues.-Thurs. 0800-1700, Friday 0800-1530, closed Monday. Admission
Rp500. Wear long pants.

TemplesJust east of the big alun-alun on Jl. Mayor Wishnu, next to
the museum, is a Hindu temple, Pura Jagatnatha, built in 1953. In
the afternoon, people from the surrounding kampung come here to
pray; the temple's especially busy during the full moon. On a towered throne
of white coral sits a bright, gold statue of Ida Batara Sanghyang Widhi
in his typical pose. This is the supreme god of Balinese Hinduism. The
padmasana rests on the back of the sacred turtle, clasped by two
naga on plinths carved with scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
The central courtyard is surrounded by a moat containing gigantic carp.
Also visit Puri Pemecutan near Tegal
bus station on the corner of Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Hasannudin, built in 1907
to replace the original palace of the raja destroyed by Dutch artillery.
Pemecutan, which shares the complex with Pemecutan Palace Hotel, houses
old weapons and a renowned gamelan mas which survived from the original
puri. Don't miss the handsome, four-tiered kulkul diagonally
opposite the palace with its eight small raksasa statues. Chinese
porcelain plates decorate the topmost tier.
Another unique and archaeologically important
temple is Pura Masopahit, located in a small alley in the middle
of the city off Jl. Sutomo. Enter through a door in the alley. This temple,
one of the oldest on Bali, has its origins in the great 14th- and 15th-century
Javanese Majapahit Empire when Hinduism was first introduced to Bali. The
massive statues of Batara Bayu and Garuda guard the split gateway. On the
imposing facade is a pantheon of carved demons and deities, including Yama
and Indra. Heavily damaged in the 1917 quake, the earliest, now-restored
buildings are in the back. Look for the terra-cotta statues.
Pura Melanting, in the midst of Pasar
Badung, is a market temple where vendors make offerings on their way to
their stalls. Northeast of Denpasar on Jl. Ratna (near the Sekolah Menengah
Musik), off to the left and just before the signpost to Kesiman, is old
Dalem Pura Tastasan with a monolithic altar and batu hitam.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Unless they have business in the city, most tourists and travelers prefer
the cheaper accommodations and more agreeable surroundings in the nearby
beach resort areas of Kuta, Legian, or Sanur. Most of those who use Denpasar's
100 or so hotels are Indonesian businessmen, tour groups, and domestic
tourists. Book ahead during high seasons.

BudgetFor the budget traveler, Wisma Taruna Inn, Jl. Gadung 31, tel.
(0361) 226913, lies on a quiet back street, two km from the city center
(Rp200 by bemo or a 20-minute walk). From downtown Denpasar, walk
up Jl. Hayam Wuruk and turn left at the Arya Hotel, approximately 100 meters
down on the right. Rates Rp5000 s, Rp10,000 d (without breakfast); in the
off-season even lower. Rent motorcycles and bicycles here. Other amenities
include laundry service, beverages, and food. Friendly houseboys. This
hostel is only a 10-minute walk from the Kereneng bus terminal, which provides
transport to all of eastern Bali.
The Bali International Hostel, Jl.
Mertasari 19, Banjar Suwung Kangin, Sidakarya, Denpasar Selatan, tel./fax
(0361) 63912, opened in 1993 and caters to young people and student groups.
Be sure to book ahead. Rp10,000 for fan-cooled rooms, Rp15,000 a/c. Each
room holds two to four beds; restaurant; clean and safe; lockers provided.
Get a taxi as it's a bit out of town, just two km from beach. Tours and
sporting activities can be arranged.
Catering exclusively to travelers is Two
Brothers Inn off the main road (Jl. Imam Bonjol) to Kuta Beach. It's
only a five-minute walk from the Tegal bemo terminal and a 10-minute
fast walk from downtown. Go down the lane (Gang VII/5) to the right of
Banjar Tegal Gede. One of the cheapest losmen in Denpasar (Rp10,000
to 15,000 d without mandi), the Two Brothers is clean and safe,
with electricity, sitting toilets, showers, fragrant flowers, free tea
and coffee. It's also quiet, except for the dog chorus at night. Excellent
value; please don't try to bargain. Try local meals in nearby warung
and a small restaurant 200 meters away; ask proprietor Ibu Anom for the
best eateries. From Two Brothers you can easily walk or take a bemo
into town (Rp350), or just stroll down the lane in your swim gear with
your towel over your shoulder and thumb a bemo (Rp800) to Kuta Beach.
If Two Brothers is full, try the noisier 31-room
Hotel Tamansari, Jl. Imam Bonjol 45, tel. (0361) 226724, for Rp10,000-15,500.
Some rooms have Indonesian-style kamar mandi; some have a fan. The
pool is a surprising addition to a budget hotel. Also with a pool, and
near the Two Brothers toward the city, is Hotel Dharma Wisata, Jl.
Imam Bonjol 83, tel. (0361) 222186; Rp15,000 d for rooms with their own
mandi. The place is cool, clean, efficient, and has a pool.
Quite central and cheap is Hotel Adi Yasa,
Jl. Nakula 23, tel. (0361) 22679, asking Rp8500 s, Rp15,000 d with bathroom
and breakfast. The 22 rooms, which may be hot and muggy and badly need
refurbishing, all face a pleasant, central garden. Request a fan. When
getting off the long-distance bus at around 0500, this is a convenient
transit place to stay as it's only 1.5 km from Ubung station. Another way
to hit it is from Kumbasari Market on Jl. Gajah Mada; walk up Jl. Kartini
until you reach Jl. Nakula (the third right); Adi Yasa is about 100 meters
down the street on the left, set in from the road.
Good reports about Nakula Familiar Inn,
Jl. Nakula 4, tel. (0361) 226446, across the street and 40 meters west
of Adi Yasa's in the direction of Jl. Kartini. Some of the new, clean,
upbeat rooms (Rp16,000 d) feature balconies, fresh curtains, and big bathrooms.
All rooms surround an outside dining area and courtyard. Another reasonable
place is the family-run Penginapan Tambora, Jl. Gunung Tambora 6,
tel. (0361) 226352; Rp15,000-25,000 s or d, Rp1500 extra for a fan. Penginapan
Mertapura, Jl. Belimbing 22, tel. (0361) 225036, charges Rp15,000 s,
Rp20,000 d. Can be noisy, as it faces the street.
A centrally located losmen catering
primarily to Indonesian businessmen is Hotel Ratu, Jl. Yos Sudarso
4, Sanglah, tel. (0361) 226922. Central location, yet cushioned somehow
from city noise. Rooms cost Rp12,500 s, Rp15,000 d without fan; Rp15,000
s, Rp20,000 d with fan. All prices include tax and service. Rooms are clean,
with showers but no hot water. Breakfast not included.
On Jl. Diponegoro near the Matahari Shopping
Center are many low-cost losmen popular with Indonesians, including
Hotel Damai, Hotel Dewi, Hotel Artha, and Diponegoro Inn.Hotel Chandra Garden, Jl. Diponegoro 114, tel. (0361) 226425, has
some a/c rooms; it's central, close to shopping centers, and includes a
restaurant and bar. Rates (Rp27,500 s or d for rooms with fan) include
tax and breakfast. Hotel Viking, Jl. Diponegoro 120, tel. (0361)
235153 or 223992, has budget rooms for Rp35,000 s or d, Rp60,000 a/c. Farther
south on Jl. Diponegoro are Hotel Rai and Hotel Oka.Hotel
Diregapura, Jl. Diponegoro 128, tel. (0361) 226924, offers 20 economy
rooms for Rp10,000 s, Rp15,000 d. Nice garden. Losmen Marhaen, on
Gang VII/4 off Jl. Diponegoro, tel. (0361) 223781, is a good deal for the
money: Rp12,000 s, Rp14,000 d with fan. Only 12 small rooms, but each includes
private mandi and is reasonably clean and quiet.

LuxuryRecently renovated Pemecutan Palace Hotel, Jl. Thamrin 2 (Box
489), tel. (0361) 223491, has 45 rather ordinary rooms ranging from Rp30,000
s to Rp45,000 d, most with a/c and phones; no hot water. The restaurant
serves Chinese, Indonesian, and Western food. Amenities include laundry
and a car rental service. Quiet, despite its central location. The hotel
is housed in a rebuilt palace—the royal occupants were annihilated in the
1906 puputan. Today, you may observe the day-by-day activities and
rituals that still take place in the extensive courtyards of the puri.
The singing birds add a nice touch. Ask to see the old meriam (cannon),
an 1840 gift to the raja by the Dutch.
For more spacious surroundings, away from
the hustle and bustle, stay in nearby Tohpati at Hotel Tohpati Bali,
Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 15, tel. (0361) 236273, fax 232404, northeast of
Denpasar. Luxury facilities—cottages surrounded by tropical trees and flowers,
pool and sunken bar, piano bar, restaurants, shops, fitness center, putting
green, tennis courts, and a contracted beach in Sanur with "every water
sport available."
Centrally located at Jl. Veteran 3, just a
short walk from Jl. Gajah Mada and the Bali Museum, is the closest thing
to first-class accommodations in Denpasar—the venerable three-star, 73-room
Natour Bali Hotel on Jl. Veteran 3 (Box 3003, Denpasar), tel. (0361)
225681, fax 235347. Built by a Dutch shipping company in 1927, this was
Bali's first tourist hotel, and though it's becoming rather frayed, it
still retains vestiges of its charming past with a palm-shaded lobby, antique
black fans, art-deco lamps, dark wood finishings, and shady walkways. Here
stayed the early Western anthropologists and writers who arrived to study
Bali. The hotel charges Rp92,400 for rooms with a/c, ceiling fans, private
bathrooms, hot water, TV, video, and a sound system. Suites are Rp150,150.
Other amenities include gift shop, bar, and the Puri Agung Restaurant.
A new luxury convenience hotel, the Sanno
Denpasar Hotel Bali, Jl. Hayam Wuruk 200 (tel. 0361-238185, fax 238186),
has opened in Renon, five minutes' drive from Sanur Beach. Rates: Rp125,000
s, Rp150,000 d (plus 21%).

FOOD

With its sizable population of bureaucrats, businessmen, laborers, and
service personnel, Denpasar offers an abundance of well-established warung,
rumah makan, and restaurants serving Indonesian specialties at very
reasonable prices. The city's densest concentration of Indonesian-style
eating establishments is on Jl. Teuku Umar, which eventually joins Jl.
Imam Bonjol, the road to Kuta.

Food MarketsFor an instant introduction to Indonesian cuisine, visit the colorful
open-air pasar malam in the parking lot 150 meters behind the multistoried
Kumbasari Shopping Complex, just off Jl. Gajah Mada by the river. Open
1800-2400. Dozens of stalls under plastic covers serve Chinese noodle soups,
fried rice, sate, excellent martabak, babi guling, nasi campur,
pangsit mie, chocolate donuts, and hot drinks. Try steaming kue
putu smothered in coconut shavings. At night the pasar malam
is a splendid place to visit, with hundreds of milling people of all ages,
races, and islands. Other pasar malam include the Kereneng bus station
(the Asoka Night Market), serving excellent babi guling (only Rp1500)
and other native dishes; opposite Tegal station (where you catch minivans
to Kuta); and on Jl. Diponegoro near the Kertha Wijaya Shopping Center.
All are good, cheap, entertaining night eateries that are so inexpensive
only a glutton could possibly spend more than Rp6000.
Virtually all of Denpasar's six big shopping
centers feature good quality, cheap, and genuine bakeries and cafeteria-style
food marts with a wide range of Indonesian, Chinese, Muslim, and Western
meals Rp2000-5000. The huge Tiara Dewata Food Centre on Jl. Mayjen
Sutoyo, serves 150 different kinds of foods—a cheap, clean, lively place
with meals starting at Rp1000.

Nasi CampurNear Hotel Adi Yasa, on Jl. Judistira at Tapakgangsul, clean and simple
Rumah Makan Wardani, tel. (0361) 224398, serves a delicious Balinese-style
nasi campur for only Rp3000. Wonderful vegetables; open 0800-1600.
A superb nasi campur served in the Food Centre of the Tiara
Dewata, Jl. Mayjend Sutoyo 55, tel. (0361) 235733, costs about Rp3000.
There are at least four restaurants on Jl. Diponegoro and several on Jl.
Gajah Mada serving nasi padang. The Minang Indahpadang
restaurant next to the Amsterdam Bakery at Jl. Diponegoro 122, tel. (0361)
235035, is outstanding. Next door, at no. 124 A, tel. (0361) 223534, RM
Siang Malam, lets patrons pick out padang-style dishes from
the many stacked in the window. Open 24 hours.

Specialty Foodstalls and RestaurantsA simple warung on Jl. Kartini opposite the cinema serves fantastic
crab soup (Rp2000) with green vegetables and egg plus a plate of rice.
It also specializes in excellent shelled fried crab. Closed on Monday.
A bottle of the ginger Sari Temulawak caps the meal; Rp1000 with ice.
For American food, go to the Coffee House,
Jl. Gajah Mada 124 A, tel. (0361) 222579, next door to the Hong Kong Restaurant.
They have a good breakfast for Rp2500-4750 (with cinnamon toast), pizza
(Rp3000), BLTs (Rp3500). Clean, padded chairs, batik napkins. Open
daily 0800-2130. Libi department store, Jl. Teuku Umar 104-110,
tel. (0361) 232007 or 221438, has a fast-food Texas barbecue chicken restaurant
(tel. 226560), open everyday 1000-2200; Rp1500 per piece.
A jump in elegance is the Puri Agung Restaurant in the Bali Hotel,
Jl. Veteran 1, tel. (0361) 225681, which features a memorable rijstaffel
(Rp10,500) as well as fixed-priced and a la carte meals. For inexpensive
but first-class and not too spicy Indonesian/East Javanese food in a clean
environment, eat at Rumah Makan Betty at Jl. Sumatra 56, tel. (0361)
224502—a simple, spacious, glassed-in, cafeteria-style place, popular with
locals and expats, and one of Denpasar's best restaurants. The nasi
campur and bubur ayam are good values; some vegetarian dishes.
Open daily 0700-2100. Next door is a fine mie pangsit noodle shop.
For East Javanese specialities, try the excellent
Kikel Sapi on Jl. Sumatra downtown. Tasty gado-gado, gule,
and rawon. So crowded at night you may have to share a table. Open
0800-1600. Find Sunda-style fish at Pondok Melati in the government
office district. Ayam Bakar Taliwang on Jl. Tengku Umar, tel. (0361)
228789, open 1000-2000, serves complete dinners of extra fat and juicy
Sasak-style Taliwang chicken, with rice, sambal, vegetables, and
delicious es kelapa muda (Rp1000). Outstanding fish sate
with hot sauce. Particularly popular with high-placed government people.
Another above-average chicken place is Ayam Goreng Nyonya Suharti,
Jl. Gatot Subroto Ubung, tel. (0361) 234815—delicious Javanese-style roast
chicken.

Balinese FoodGenuine Balinese food is not easy to find. Tasty Balinese babi guling
and lawar for about Rp3000 per portion at Warung Nasi Bali,
Jl. Hayam Wuruk 69 A, tel. (0361) 223889, an easy walk from the Kereneng
bus station. Head out to Jl. Hayam Wuruk and turn east; it's on the left,
about 300 meters before Jl. Nusa Indah. Open 0730-1800. Clean Kakman
Restaurant on Jl. Tengku Umar 135 (halfway to Kuta), tel. (0361) 227188,
also specializes in Balinese food. Try the Klungkung vegetables and the
urab. Moderate prices. The atmosphere of a Balinese household with
bale bali; patronized mostly by Chinese businessmen.

Asian RestaurantsDenpasar has some of the best Chinese restaurants on the island, several
located on Jl. Gajah Mada. Hawaii, tel. (0361) 435135, on the second
floor of the Kumbasari complex, offers a tourist menu with items like banana-and-cheese
pancakes (Rp2800), club sandwiches (Rp3500), and traditional Chinese dishes.
Be aware of the additional 10% government tax. The unpretentious but excellent
and central Atoom Baru, Jl. Gajah Mada 106-108, tel. (0361) 426678,
offers tasty nasi goreng for Rp3500, cap cai, a classic fishball
soup, and delicious fish and vegetables with tomato sauce. A long-standing
local favorite. The few flies landing on your table makes it all the more
authentic. Also try the popular, fancier, and slightly overpriced Hong
Kong Restaurant, Jl. Gajah Mada 99, tel. (0361) 434845, across the
road from the Atoom Baru and right in front of Kumbasari Market. Dinners
start at about Rp10,000; each dish can be ordered in different sizes. Specialties
include stewed seafood and bean curd in a clay pot, Sichuan hot and sour
soup, fried fresh carp, nasi goreng (Rp4000), and medium lobster
(Rp50,000). Nice air-conditioned atmosphere; good for groups.
The Akasaka on Jl. Teuku Umar, Simpang
Enam Square, tel. (0361) 238551 or 238552, is known for fine Japanese food.
The restaurant's bar and karaoke music room, with a big-screen and
twirling disco lights, are very popular with locals. Music programs in
English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Every second night is ladies night.
Open 1900-0200. The only real nightclub in Denpasar, the Akasaka hosts
live rock-and-roll bands in the basement.

Baked Goods and DessertsThere are dozens of bakeries in Denpasar providing fast food for people
on their way to work. The biggest is Amsterdam Bakery, Jl. Diponegoro
122, tel. (0361) 235035—also a steak house, ice cream parlor, and restaurant.
On Jl. Sumatra (no. 34A) is Toko Roti Matahari, tel. (0361) 234447,
with bread, cheese and raisin rolls, donuts, muffins, and ice cream. The
city's new shopping centers also feature bakeries; Tiara Dewata
on Jl. Mayjen and Sutoyo are especially good.

EVENTS AND EXHIBITS

Dances and musical performances take place throughout the year. Keep your
eyes and ears open. There are many tourist dance venues in southern Bali
within easy reach of Denpasar, especially at Sanur's pricier hotels and
restaurants. For cheaper, longer, and more traditional dances, see the
celebrations and festivities in the villages.
The best way to follow religious ceremonies
and festivals is to obtain a calender of events at one of Denpasar's tourist
offices. In Denpasar itself, full moon ceremonies occur at Pura Jagatnatha
(next to the Bali Museum) with its white coral lotus-throne shrine to Sanghyang
Widi. You may watch if you wear the traditional Balinese sarung. For Western films, go to Wisata 21 Cineplex,
Jl. M.H. Thamrin, tel. (0361) 423023. This movie theater features five
full-screen cinemas with three shows daily. Air conditioning, stereo surround
sound, plush seats, cafeteria.

The Art CenterAlso called Taman Werdi Budaya, the Art Center is on Jl. Nusa
Indah in Abiankapas, a suburb of Denpasar in the direction of Sanur, only
a 15-minute walk east of Kereneng station. Set in a restful garden with
lotus ponds amid richly carved baroque Balinese buildings, the Taman Werdi
Budaya houses exhibits of modern painting, masks, and woodcarving. Both
Balinese and Indonesian artists are featured. You'll find a car park, museum,
and small, fixed-price handicraft shops.
Visitors can view dance and music rehearsals
in two open-air amphitheaters with modern lighting. Dances are also regularly
staged for the public, including works incorporating modern Balinese choreography.
In the kecak performance, staged each night 1830-1930 (Rp5000),
traditional flickering oil lamps are still used. Eerie and powerful.
The Art Center also hosts a summer art festival
each year from mid-June to mid-July, with competitions for costumes, dance,
drama, sendratari performances, music, woodcarving, metalworking,
and food. Every year is different, with each of Bali's regencies sending
its best teams. Also see art events, crafts exhibits, and an extravagant
production of the Ramayana Ballet. If it's the high season, be sure to
book your hotel in advance. These entertaining and exciting cultural shows
draw tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.
The Balinese Art Development Center Program,
Jl. Bayusuta (in the Art Center), is open 0800-1700 daily except Monday.
This tertiary-level institute offers work on the undergraduate through
master's degree levels. Besides staging dances, plays, and pop concerts,
it houses permanent exhibits offering handicrafts, paintings, carvings,
and silver. Student discounts available.

STSI and SMKIMore advanced students attend Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (formerly
ASTI), the Institute of Arts and Dance on Jl. Nusa Indah near the Art Center
in Abiankapas, tel. (0361) 272361. Classes are 0700-1300 daily except Sunday.
STSI director Made Bandem is responsible for a virtual renaissance in the
Balinese arts. Tourism revenue is recycled into larger and grander ceremonies
for the gods that, inevitably, include Balinese theater, music, song, and
dance, and thus contribute to the development and preservation of Balinese
art.
SMKI is the Conservatory of Instrumental Arts
and Dance (tel. 0361-975180, fax 975162), for high school students in Batubulan.
Opened in 1960; all Balinese dances are studied here. Visitors are welcome
in the mornings to watch teachers train their pupils.

Hotel and Commercial PerformancesIn Sanur (nine km southeast of Denpasar), the Ramayana, joged,
and legong are frequently staged at such big hotels as the Bali
Hyatt just about every night of the week starting about 1900. Performances
last 45 minutes to an hour and are often accompanied by buffet dinner.
Cost: Rp25,000-30,000. Wayang kulit is performed every Monday, Wednesday,
and Saturday 1900-2000 for Rp6000 in the Laghawa Beach Inn.
A high-quality, dynamic barong is put
on especially for tourists at Batubulan, a suburb northeast of Denpasar,
on one of three open-air stages every morning, 0900-1000. Jammed with hundreds
of Europeans, and suffocating with peddlers, admission is Rp5000. In the
afternoon, 1630-1730, is a kecak fire dance. At Tanjung Bungkah,
between Denpasar and Sanur, a kecak and fire dance has been staged
1930-2030 regularly since 1972, admission Rp5000. While here, see the small
but colorful pura dalem temple.

SHOPPING

Denpasar is where the Balinese shop for staples and necessities. Small
shops and businesses are generally open 0830-1400, close for several hours,
then reopen in the evening around 1700, then close again around 2100. On
Sunday, everyone goes home at 1200 or 1300. The best way to shop in Denpasar
is on foot. Denpasar's shopping street and business center is Jl. Gajah
Mada, where anything—cassette tapes, textiles, medicine, stationery, tacky
souvenirs, electronics, shoes—is available. The chance of being overcharged
here is just as great as in Kuta or Sanur. Downtown is not the only place
to shop. Other shopping streets include Jl. Thamrin for textiles, tailors,
souvenirs, and leather wear, and Jl. Diponegoro for clothes and books.
The big, bustling shopping centers, a few kilometers from the downtown,
are open from 0900 or 1000 until 2000. The tourist corridor between Kuta
and Ubud is choked with art shops carrying every conceivable native craft.

Downtown MarketsOne of Denpasar's main attractions is the massive, multistoried, visually
fascinating central market, Pasar Badung on Jl. Gajah Mada alongside
the river. With droves of people and amazing colors, this market is especially
strong in plaited ware and inexpensive trinkets. Good cheap eateries. As
you enter the market, kids will offer to carry your merchandise for Rp1000.
Lines of dokar wait to take shoppers and their goods home.
Different goods are sold in different sections.
The cool, dark, basement level houses a huge, bustling fruit and vegetable
market, as well as meat and fish markets. The first floor is devoted to
hardware, flower offerings, and spices. The top floor features textiles,
songket, sarung from Java, dance and ceremonial accoutrements, kitchen
utensils, hardware, tinware, brassware, bags, inexpensive clothes, basketry,
a giddy variety of things made from palm leaves, and a great view over
the city.
West of Pasar Badung, just across the river,
is the giant Kumbasari Shopping Complex, a rabbit's warren of small
wholesale and retail shops selling clothes, bedcovers, batik, paintings,
Mas-style carvings, Celuk silver, and scads of junk. Cinemas cap the complex.
This is the closest Denpasar gets to an art market. Opens at 0800.

Shopping CentersTo satiate the increasingly urbane appetites of Bali's growing middle
class, there's been an alarming proliferation of huge, air-conditioned,
well-scrubbed, Western-style shopping centers. At last count the city had
seven. Each contains a comprehensive supermarket, bookstore, department
store, food center, and playground, as well as beauty salons, music stores,
cosmetic counters, and sports, houseware, and hardware departments. Kitchen
utensils like stainless steel pots, glassware, and wooden spoons are a
real bargain, cheaper than in the pasar. The guitars are better
quality than those sold in Bandung. If buying foreign-brand items like
high-pressure kerosene lamps (Rp40,000) or staplers, remember spare parts.
Also buy conventional, Western-style, ready-to-wear clothing, children's
clothes, and all types of consumer articles: electronics, office and art
supplies, housewares, crafts, and jewelry. All offer free parking with
security guards and luggage counters (tempat tititipan) where you
can check in your valuables.
The three-storied MA Department Store,
Jl. Diponegoro 50, tel. (0361) 222178, fax 36562, is on the street that
extends past RM Beringin Jaya. Particularly strong on fashion apparel and
accessories. All plastic accepted.
The Matahari, on Jl. Dewi Sartika,
is owned by a Christian Chinese, Darmawan, who is trying to imitate Kmart
in the States. Tiara Dewata, on Jl. Mayjend, Sutoyo, tel. (0361)
235733, has Bali's largest supermarket, a swimming pool (Rp1500 adult,
Rp1000 child; bring towel), and children's amusement park with bumper cars
and other assorted rides. Also check out Libi on Jl. Teuku Umar,
tel. (0361) 232007, and Matahari on Jl. Dewi Sartika. Hero,
Jl. Teuku Umar, offers superb fruit and vegetable sections, including fresh
herbs and American seedless grapes. The seafood, meat, and dairy departments
are the best on the island, and the range of baby products, cosmetics,
and basic pharmaceuticals is excellent. A mammoth new shopping center,
New Dewata Ayu, opposite the old favorite Matahari, opened in 1994.
Smaller centers include Supernova on Jl. Raya Kuta, tel. (0361)
751186.

Other MarketsA morning market, Pasar Kereneng, is also a major terminal for
buses to central and east Bali. Fruits and vegetables are sold here, as
well as a limited selection of woodcarvings, paintings, and crockery. Denpasar's
pasar malam, just south of the Kumbasari market, is clogged with
vendors selling cheap clothes, jewelry, shoes, and batik. The Taman Werdi Budaya Bali arts complex,
in Abiankapas on the east side of Denpasar, houses exhibits of modern painting,
woodcarvings, shadow puppet exhibits, and displays of giant barong landung
puppets; regularly scheduled dances. Open Tues.-Sun. 0800-1700.

Sanggraha Kriya Asta Handicrafts CentreYou'll find this art center in Tophati's northeast suburbs, seven km
east of Denpasar where the Bypass Highway from Nusa Dua joins the main
road from Denpasar to Batubulan (P.O. Box 254, Denpasar, tel. 0361-222-942).
This art cooperative, supervised by the Department of Industry, displays
samples of nearly all the crafts produced on Bali today: woodcarvings,
paintings, batik, dresses, shirts, silverwork. Prices about double
what you'd pay in the art shops of Ubud, triple what you'd pay in a good
art market. The quality, except for such items as mobiles, just isn't there.
Consisting of five spacious buildings, each
devoted to a major craft, this art cooperative provides a good idea of
what's out there—from high quality batik sarung for Rp35,000 to
a pair of wooden earrings at Rp2000. All prices fixed. Open daily 0800-1700,
Saturday 0900-1700, Sunday closed. Call for free transportation in the
Denpasar, Kuta, and Sanur areas; the center will give you a lift if you
spend Rp100,000 or more.
Next door to the handicrafts centre is a big
Mega shop—better to spend time at Mega than at Sanggraha Kriya Asta. See
"Craft Shops," below.

Pasar SatriyaLocated by the temple Pura Satriya, on the corner of Jl. Veteran and
Jl. Nakula, this small art dealer's wholesale market sells woodcarvings,
paintings, and other crafts, plus produce and good Bali-style takeout food.
Look in on the only bird market on Bali—the Satriya Bird Market
(Pasar Burung) at Jl. Veteran 64, where 40 shops sell parrots, cockatoos,
partridges, and parakeets, as well as tropical fish and aquariums.

Craft ShopsC.V. Nuratni, Jl. Gianyar 15, tel. (0361) 235613, is a large
and well-known art shop on the road from Denpasar to Tohpati. Painted 2.5-meter-high
Tegalalang Garudas go for Rp3 million; small ones are Rp31,500. Carved
wooden ducks full of carved fruit, Rp735,000; a realistic banana tree for
Rp630,000. Nuratni is an exporter and also accepts credit cards, traveler's
checks, and personal checks. Prices not marked. Purchase unique clothing
by a Japanese designer in the Bali Baru Wisata gallery at Jl. Sumba
26, tel. (0361) 2223998 or 31784.
Peek in at Mega Art Shop, Jl. Gajah
Mada 36, tel. (0361) 225120, for its wide range of Balinese arts—jewelry,
leather, puppets, paintings, ceramics, and fine textiles, including reasonably
priced framed weavings from Timor for Rp230,000-287,000, and Sumbu ikats
for Rp115,000-287,000. Ten percent cash discount. Visit only to see incredibly
delicate, museum-quality antique gold artifacts from Flores. Open 0730-1700.
An even larger Mega, tel. (0361) 228855 or 224570, is at Jl. Raya
Gianyar Km 5.7 on the outskirts of Denpasar in Tohpati. Ask to see the
owner's private collection of kris and ikat (not for sale).
While there, check out the Popiler, tel. (0361) 235162, next door,
open until 1800. There are now six stores in this trustworthy chain, including
one downtown at Jl. Gajah Mada 36. Even if you buy some jewelry and then
decide you don't like it, you can return it and staff will gladly allow
you to exchange it for an item of equal value.

Fabrics and TextilesJalan Sulawesi is the fabrics street, especially for Indian or Muslim-style
fabrics. Several well-stocked shops, including Dua Lima and Toko
Murah, carry everything from gingham to velvet, nylon net to the finest
cotton. Fair prices. At Jl. Sulawesi 58, tel. (0361) 225421, Meubal
Yani carries bantal guling (Dutch wife) for only Rp6000.
Indonesians themselves shop for clothes at
Galuh Tenun and Batik Bali, tel. (0361) 98304, in Batubulan on the
main road out of Denpasar on the right. Here you can buy a sarung
for as little as Rp4000. Enough of the staff speak English so you can make
yourself understood. For high quality batik sarung and batik,
try Winotosastro on Jl. Hayam Wuruk 102 on the road to Sanur. Silk
is the specialty of the Duta Silk House in Duta Plaza, Denpasar.
Panca Mulia Textiles, Jl. Gajah Mada 78, is a great place to buy
sarung and three-meter-long kain, mostly traditional designs,
Rp10,000-15,000.

AntiquesAlit's, on the east end of Jl. Thamrin, tel. (0361) 436645,
and the Meteor Shop, Jl. Kartini 32, are known for their antiques
as well as carved chess sets and sandalwood fans. Check out the Pelangi
Art Shop, Jl. Soko 48, tel. (0361) 222689; another branch on Poppies
Lane in Kuta, tel. (0361) 755646.
Mario Antiques in Batubulan proffers
a lot of junk—also some gems. The nicest pieces of furniture come from
wealthy families, and they don't part with them cheaply. You really have
to know what you're doing in this place. A half kilometer past the market
on the left.

Gold and SilverOn Jl. Sulawesi beside the household market, a number of silver shops
sell 22-24 carat pieces. Some offer wholesale prices competitive with Hong
Kong and Singapore. Try Solomon Silver, no. 66. tel. (0361) 224920.
As is the case throughout Indonesia, you buy gold jewelry by the weight;
the actual workmanship is free. Worth investigating is Zamrud's
on Jl. Sulawesi, which carries and makes fine jewelry.
A very specific place for gold is the row
of gold shops on Jl. Hasannudin. At any of them, you may also have gold
articles made (a gold ring costing $500 in the States can be made here
for about $200). The Kenanga Gold Shop at no. 43 A, tel. (0361)
225725, has a fine selection. If you change your mind after your purchase,
you may return the item and get your money back, less 10%. Take a peek
in Melati, no. 41 F, tel. (0361) 237065, and the 99 Gold Shop,
no. 31 D, tel. (0361) 237169, while you're in the neighborhood.

Photo Shops, Communications, Bank, and Postal ServicesTati Photo, Denpasar's leading photographic supplies store sells
cameras and equipment, prints and enlarges photos and slides, repairs cameras,
and snaps passport photos in both black-and-white and color. Find the place
at Jl. Sumatra 10-14, on the corner of Jl. Sumatra and Jl. Thamrin, tel.
(0361) 264203. Photo services also available from Prima Photo, Jl.
Thamrin 41, tel. (0361) 425031, and Diamond Photo Studio, Jl. Thamrin
5, tel. (0361) 426903.
The telephone and telegraph office
is at Jl. Teuku Umar 6, tel. (0361) 222021, at the intersection of Jl.
Diponegoro. Make international, collect, and calling-card calls, send and
receive faxes and telexes. Open 24 hours. Send telegraphs and faxes Mon.-Sat.
0800-1900, Sunday 0800-1200.
Wartel (Warung Telekomunikasi) telecommunication
centers are found in several locations—Jl. Segara Perempatan, tel. (0361)
288864, and Jl. Besakih, tel. (0361) 235067. Telephone, fax, or telex a
message to anywhere in the world. Usually open 0800-1600.
The central post office, tel. (0361)
223565, 223568, 226581, or 226584, is on Jl. Raya Puputan in Renon, which
is difficult, though possible by bemo, to reach. Best bet is to
hire an ojek from Kereneng Station for about Rp2000. Open Mon.-Thurs.
0800-1400, Friday 0800-1100, Saturday 0800-1100. They don't forward mail,
though they say they will. Although they have poste restante service here
0800-2100, you're better off with the poste restante centers in Ubud, Sanur,
or Kuta. Even better is to have mail sent directly to your hotel. Other
major Denpasar post offices are at Jl. Kamboja 6, outside Kereneng bemo
station, open Mon.-Thurs. 0800-1200 and 1300-2100, Friday 0800-1200 and
1330-2100, Saturday 0800-2000, Sunday 0800-2100; on Jl. Teuku Umar across
from the telephone office, open daily 0800-2100; and at Sanglah near the
Udayana University on Jl. Diponegoro on the road to Benoa.
To send parcels, go to the paket pos
building at Jl. Diponegoro 146, tel. (0361) 227727. Open Mon.-Fri. 0800-2000,
Friday and Saturday until 1100. From Ubung terminal, take a bemo
to the corner of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Niti Mandala Renon, then walk 500
meters to the west. This is a good place to have parcels sent, as the clerks
charge only Rp4000 to wrap and bind your box, with a plastic cover sewn
on tightly and securely.
UPS, Jl. Raya Sesetan 118, tel. (0361)
232720, provides package and document delivery to more than 180 countries
with electronic tracking capability. For rates, see the postal section
in the Introduction.
For packaging and forwarding bulk shipments
overseas, use PT Khatulistiwa Mandiri, Komplek Perkantoran, Benoa
Port, tel. (0361) 226897, fax 226897; or Global Putra International
Group, Jl. Raya Sesetan 200 B, tel. (0361) 232835 or 237657. These
companies offer full container, bulk cargo, air and sea freight, customs
services, and parcel and courier service. There are scores of other cargo
shipping companies in Sanur and the Kuta area. Allow about three days to
arrange to send a container.
There are several banks to choose from at
the eastern end of Jl. Gajah Mada. You'll get quick and continuous service
(no break for lunch) at Bank Negara Indonesia 1946 at Jl. Gajah
Mada 20, tel. (0361) 227321. Bank Duta, Jl. Hayam Wuruk 165, tel.
(0361) 226578, accepts Visa and MasterCard; open Mon.-Fri. 0800-1200, Saturday
0800-1100. BCA, Jl. Hasannudin 58, tel. (0361) 431012, also accepts
plastic, open Mon.-Fri. 0800-1400, Saturday 0800-1200. One of the best
banks for telegraphic transfers is Bank Bumi Daya, Jl. Veteran 12,
tel. (0361) 231073, which will also cash most kinds of traveler's checks.
Bank Ekspor-Impor, Jl. Udayana 11, tel. (0361) 234784, cashes Thomas
Cook traveler's checks and is reliable for wire transfers. Get cash advances
with your Visa card at the branch of the Lippo Bank; the main office
is at Jl. Thamrin 77, tel. (0361) 422176. There are at least three moneychangers
at the airport, open until 2000 or later. Find an ATM at Bank Bali
near the telephone office on Jl. Diponegoro where it intersects with Jl.
Teuku Umar.

Churches and MosquesFind a Seventh-Day Adventist church on Jl. Surapati, Pentecostal
services at 0800 at Jl. Kresna 19, an Evangelical house of worship
on Jl. Melati, and the Gereja Kristen Protestan at Jl. Debes 6,
tel. (0361) 223758, holding services in Indonesian at 0700 and 0900 each
Sunday. Also in Denpasar are Gereja Maranatha, tel. (0361) 222591,
and Gereja Baithani, tel. (0361) 232414.
Above the St. Joseph Catholic Church,
Jl. Kepundung 2, off Jl. Surapati, are angels dressed as legong
dancers. In a stone bas-relief of Christ, Pilate studies the scrolls by
electric light while a motorbike sits in the background. Services are on
Saturday at 1730, Sunday 0830 and 1730. The Raya Mosque and Mesjid
An Nur are on the corner of Jl. Hasannudin and Jl. Sulawesi, and Uchuwah
Mosque is down Jl. Surapati. Mesjid Al-Hissan is at Hotel Bali
Beach.